Ustream Blogs

When that famous ball dropped in Times Square to mark the start of 2015, millions of viewers around the world had access to the event thanks to Ustream’s six-hour live streaming broadcast. It was a most appropriate beginning to what Ustream CEO Brad Hunstable is calling “The Year of Video.”

So what is driving this surging interest in live streaming video? One word: business.

“The business model for Ustream has been traditionally advertising,” Hunstable said, “but what’s interesting is over the past few years we’ve really doubled down our efforts to become a SAAS [Software-as-a-Service] company. We’ll license and sell our technology to media companies and enterprises that need really powerful and highly scalable video solutions.” (Read the full article here.)

“If you look at where the growth is happening in video — most people don’t realize this — most of the growth in this next wave is going to happen within the enterprise … The enterprise is a tremendous opportunity, and what you’re going to see coming from Ustream, we’re going to continue to provide really robust solutions that solve the needs of these organizations for productivity, transparency, to connect with consumers and their employees in deeper ways … Every corporation today is a media company.”

The data supports Hunstable’s assertions: According to a recent study by The Aberdeen Group, 95 percent of Best-in-Class marketers are using video as part of their content marketing mix.

Ustream CEO Brad Hunstable recently sat down with Stephanie Chan of the tech news site ReadWrite to share the story of Ustream, what the company is like today, and where it — and live streaming video in general — is going. (Read the full article here)

Some of our favorite excerpts:

ReadWrite: What were you like growing up?

Brad Hunstable: I was definitely more of a hacker as a kid. As a pre-teen, I coded and built a Bulletin Board Service (BBS – the Internet before there was an Internet) in Texas. […] It certainly was not “cool” to be a programmer back then and the many times I was called ”geek” were not terms of endearment.
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RW: Can you tell me what Ustream is like today?

BH: Ustream is one of the largest video solutions on the Web, and we are primarily focused on enterprises. We want to help businesses communicate more effectively with their two most important constituents— customers and their employees.

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RW:Livestreaming has recently come into the media forefront with Amazon’s acquisition of livestream video gaming site, Twitch. What does this mean for the current state of livestream video?

BH: […] Video is reaching a point where it’s really becoming a foundation piece of the Internet. By 2017, according to Cisco, it will be 55% of the Internet’s traffic. It’s incredible. We did a Sony Playstation 4 launch a couple months ago, and it was 2% of the Internet’s traffic.

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RW:What’s next for you and Ustream?

BH: I’m a big believer that there’s going to be a company that can be a video layer across enterprise. Everything I’m doing today in terms of our product is really about helping businesses be more transparent to their customers, more transparent to their employees. We help them use video to build those relationships.

Amazon’s acquisition of Twitch has created a buzz in the video streaming space and has many wondering, who’s next? Read the Variety article and learn more about how Ustream and live streaming technology is fundamentally changing traditional media.

September 4, 2014 – SAN FRANCISCO — Ustream, the world’s leading live video platform, today announced veteran-focused non-profit, Oscar Mike Foundation, as the newest recipient of a ‘Ustream for Change’ award. As part of the honor, Ustream will provide Oscar Mike a complimentary license to the Ustream Enterprise Pro Broadcasting product for a period of three months, allowing the organization to put a public spotlight on the challenges and opportunities facing veterans, with topics including living with post-traumatic stress, adapting to life after combat injury and the impact on spouses and caregivers. Oscar Mike’s series of live video discussions is titled the “After Action Panel” and can be found at Ustream Channel, http://www.ustream.tv/AfterActionPanel Broadcasts will begin on Saturday, September 13, with the first episode covering veterans’ personal struggles with post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD). The panel will feature a landmark gathering of veterans representing every major conflict in the nation’s history back to World War II. “As a West Point graduate, I’m thrilled the Ustream for Change panel chose to recognize the sacrifice and dedication of our Veterans,” said Brad Hunstable, CEO and founder of Ustream. “Live video takes audience experience to the next level and so we are proud that our technology can help further bring veteran support to life for these heroes.” Launched at the start of 2014, ‘Ustream for Change’ is a philanthropic program that seeks to advance Ustream’s mission of empowering businesses and societies to be more transparent and productive through the innovative use of video. The program was originally inspired by three Ukrainian citizen journalists, whose coverage of events in Kiev captured the attention of more than 50 million viewers across the globe. More than 400 applications from every continent have been submitted since launch, with causes spanning education, civil rights, politics, and evangelism sectors. For more information on Ustream for Change, visit http://www.ustream.tv/our-company/change “We are excited to partner with Ustream to bring these important topics more prominently into the national consciousness,” added Noah Currier, Oscar Mike president and founder. “Veterans have always made amazing sacrifices for their countries during active service. Using video to share experiences assists this process, and platforms like Ustream allow us to do this with the reach and impact of a global media organization.” Live video series for veterans will kick off Sept 13 with representatives from every major conflict since WWII About Oscar Mike Oscar Mike exists to assist and promote disabled Veterans. The term “Oscar Mike” comes from military radio jargon used on the front lines, and translates to staying “On the Move”. Being Oscar Mike means being active, staying positive and living life to its absolute fullest. The Oscar Mike Foundation helps to rehabilitate disabled veterans and individuals through participation in high-energy extreme sporting events. A registered 501c3 non-profit organization, The Oscar Mike Foundation is comprised of a group of Veterans, athletes, artists and individuals from all walks of life who view disabilities not as roadblocks, but as challenges to own and overcome.

SAN FRANCISCO, June 30, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — Live online video is quickly emerging as an engagement tool for marketers looking to cut through the clutter of communicating with external audiences. Whether the video is used to extend the reach of product launch events, to create engaging descriptions of merchandise for sale or to provide richer forms of customer support, the technology is helping to transform best practices in corporate outreach. Based on a survey of 1,007 executives in Q4 2013, live video within the enterprise can serve as a catalyst for increased productivity and improved corporate brand image, amongst a variety of other attributes.

Wainhouse Research, an independent market research firm that focuses on critical issues in the unified communications and collaboration (UC&C) market, in partnership with Ustream, has uncovered many key insights in “The Evolving Role of Live Online Video in Corporate Marketing.”

Several findings from the latest report include:

Increased access will drive adoption – Sixty-three percent of live online video users report that the technology is “easier to use and more reliable than in years past”

Live video will begin to take up more corporate website real estate – Fifty-five percent of organizations plan to expand their use of video on corporate websites in 2014

Enterprise users will stack technology solutions for maximum impact, using live video as the centerpiece – Survey respondents find that live video is most effective when combined with presentation slides and on-screen data

Live video is an effective way to generate sales leads and acquire customers – Sales and marketing executives find particular value in live video’s ability to socially generate sales leads

Seeing is believing – Executives that use live online video most frequently have a vastly different worldview when it comes to business communications effectiveness

Feeling inspired yet? Businesses have harnessed live video for a variety of external and internal communications needs. Vooza, a video comic strip about the startup world, recently created a Ustream-inspired video snippet for earnings calls. Check out the video: http://vooza.com/videos/earnings-call/

Ustream founder and CEO, Brad Hunstable and Wainhouse Research senior analyst, Steve Vonder Haar, will be hosting an interactive webinar on July 22, 2014 to further discuss live video trends within the workplace.

“Live video is no one-trick pony online,” said Steve Vonder Haar, senior analyst with Wainhouse Research. “Looking beyond the popular corporate video stalwarts of employee training and executive presentations, executives are discovering that live online video also can play a central role in more creative corporate messaging for external audiences. As a result, marketing applications for live online video are poised to boost viewership and adoption – fostering even greater awareness of the role that the technology can play in day-to-day business communications.”

“Live video is an incredibly powerful medium and even though the uncut, raw nature may be intimidating, the upside cannot be dismissed,” said Brad Hunstable, founder and CEO of Ustream. “Thousands of companies rely on our business solutions to meet their growing needs to be more productive and build deeper relationships. Fun videos like the Vooza earnings call only scrape the surface of possibilities — ultimately, Ustream is a socially-fueled way to cut through the clutter and be heard in today’s constantly connected society.”

The Wainhouse Research report released this week and the July 22 webinar are the third in a series of white papers and webinars tracking the corporate use, deployment and executive perceptions of online video,Business Video Now. The first in the series, “Executive Visions on Video in the Workplace,” notes that C-level executives are using the technology at more than triple the rate of associate-level employees, and the second report, “Gauging Viewership Trends in Live Online Video Business Communications,” projects live video business communications consumption will nearly triple by 2017.

About UstreamUstream is the world’s most scalable and social live video platform. Originally created to connect remote military servicemen to significant personal and cultural events, the company has evolved into a socially-fueled vehicle enabling anyone to reach global audiences and share experiences in real-time. Whether it’s a press conference, product launch, educational class, or an act of citizen journalism – Ustream’s Cloud Platform offers users high-quality streaming capabilities, deep social networking integration, and the scalability to reach millions of viewers concurrently. Our mission is to empower businesses and societies to be more transparent, more productive, and build deeper relationships through the power of video.

Founded in 2007 by John Ham, Brad Hunstable, Gyula Feher, Ustream is located in San Francisco andBudapest. Company customers and partners include Cisco, Sony, Discovery Communications, Georgetown University, and Samsung. Ustream is a privately-owned company. For more information on Ustream, visit Ustream.tv, Twitter.com/Ustream, or Facebook.com/Ustream.

April 30, 2014 – SAN FRANCISCO — Ustream, the world’s most scalable and social live video platform, today announced that it has selected Miami-based non-profit organization, Luz Para Venezuela (Light for Venezuela), as the newest member of Ustream for Change. Launched two months ago, Ustream for Change is a philanthropic program that seeks to advance Ustream’s mission of empowering businesses and societies to be more transparent and productive through the innovative use of video. The program was originally inspired by three Ukrainian broadcasters that have now captured the attention of more than 60 million viewers across the globe.

More than 170 applications from every continent have been submitted for Ustream for Change since launch, with causes spanning education, civil rights, politics, and evangelism sectors. The program is spearheaded by David Gibbons, Ustream’s vice president of marketing, and is run by a cross-functional group of volunteers within the company.

“An internal committee of Ustream employees selects the recipients, helping to ensure that the causes chosen are things which reflect the spirit of the company, not just the outlook of the leaders. The application from Luz Para Venezuela was very moving, and made it clear that their cause was urgent, their plans were specific, and their passion ran deep.”

Understanding the Situation in Venezuela, as told by David Dorr, Executive Director Luz Para Venezuela

Since the beginning of 2014 civil unrest in Venezuela has escalated to levels not seen since the unsuccessful coup of President Hugo Chavez in 2002. His successor, Nicolas Maduro, has continued with a series of crushing economic policies that have pushed the country into experiencing soaring inflation and constant shortages of goods, particularly important basic necessities such as baby formula, toilet paper, and medicine. Crime has skyrocketed to the point that the government no longer publishes the shameful data. Estimates place the murder rate at approximately 24,000 annually making Venezuela’s murder rate nearly the highest in the world and for government corruption Venezuela is ranked by Transparency International as 160th out of 175 countries.

The power of live video allows individuals in oppressed and censored societies to have their voice heard and to tell their story. Democracy can only flourish in an environment where every individual is granted this basic human right. We are very excited to have been chosen by Ustream for Change. Their expertise and leadership in live streaming video is exactly what our organization was seeking to effectuate long lasting change in Venezuela. We are giving the citizens of Venezuela a much needed voice so that they are heard by their government as well as by the world.

“Live video is one of the most engaging and effective means for communication in today’s society, and we’re proud that our technology can also be used as a means for transparency and the greater good,” said Brad Hunstable, CEO and founder of Ustream. “Luz Para Venezuela is an excellent example of this and we look forward to expanding Ustream for Change to further promote internet freedom, stable societies, and emerging democracies.”

As more marketers and businesses are embracing Ustream as their live video streaming platform for both internal and external business communications, more publicists are getting involved in the process to generate buzz around their live event efforts.

Ustream has an array of tools for producers and marketers, but with some research and the know-how for where to go, publicists can take advantage of various features to spread their message to a wider audience.

Customize and Brand your Ustream channel for a seamless look

Martha Stewart is the queen of chic, so for her Ustream broadcast to blend with her brand, we helped set her up with a customized channel page. Not only does it legitimize the stream as a part of the brand, it can also be a hub for archived videos, upcoming shows, and other information you’d like to share with viewers.

Not Every Video needs to be Live on Ustream

For anyone nervous about a spokesperson on a live broadcast, or concerned the Internet connection may not be strong enough during the live stream; Ustream offers a recorded-to-live feature to alleviate your anxiety. Easily integrate previously recorded video — from any platform or format — into the Ustream player. So if the Wi-Fi doesn’t work, you can keep recording, and then share the content on loop in the Ustream player once the recording is finished.

There is no better way to engage viewers than to use the social stream and chat features. Answer viewers questions live on-air to help create engaged conversation with the customer, while also capturing more eyes on the broadcast as their comments are published on Twitter and Facebook with quick links back to your channel.

The best part — as NASA successfully demonstrates below — is the integration of any hashtag or Twitter handle into the social stream to help create virality. In this case, anytime someone tweeted at #NasaTV, it showed up in the social stream.

For anyone concerned about inappropriate messages, conversations within the stream can be filtered and moderated to protect against unwanted commenters and spam.

Embeds Allow Anyone to Share your Content

Whether you want to drive viewers to your own site, share the video player with a journalist, or post on your social media account; Ustream players can be embedded anywhere on the web. You can also grow your Facebook audience by requiring viewers to ‘Like’ your page before they can watch.

The Excitement of Live Video is Contagious

Live streaming video is still a new space many companies and personalities are beginning to engage in. The ability for companies to reach large audiences in real-time has never been more pertinent for brands to engage customers in a fun, yet transparent way. The features highlighted above are only a sampling of what publicists can use to create a strong and consistent message that has all of the potential to go viral. Take a chance and play around with the features to test all of live video’s potential.